Hotel tag or the like



Oct. 2, 1945, G, J, EVALT 2,385,778

HOTEL TAG OR THE LIKE Filed April 28`, I194s Patented Oct. 2, 1945 STATES PATENT orifice HOTEL TAG on THE LIKE( George J..Evalt, Philadelphia, Pa. Aispieation April 2S, 1943, serial No. 484,394

6 Claims;

I This invention relates tohotel key tags and the like and has for an important object thereof vthe provision of a .tag for this purpos'ewhich may .be conveniently a1tered as to'tne toorn number and Iwhich admits the use of a construction for sale to al1 hotels.. In the ordinary hotel key tag the hotel name and room number are embossed upon' the tag Orotherwise permanently attached thereto.. It

often happens that keys are lost Aorare carried l away by the patron and naturally such losses occur most Vfrequently with the keys of popularly located rooms. The result. is that the hotel must either pay an exhoribitant price for individual key tags for the particular room or rooms, the tags of which have been misplaced, or must order an entire .new set oftags for the' rooms as a group. Furthermore, indicia stamped upon the tag is subjectto wear' and becomes obliterated in time, necessitating replacement ofthe tag.

Important objects of the presentv invention are the provision of a key. tag in which theroom number may be readily changed, thusenabling the use of any tag for'. identifying the .key of anyroom, and in which worn or dirty identification may be readily replaced.

AnotherA object of tneinvention is the provision of a structure in` which the .hotelidentication indicia is readily interchangeable, thus enabling the use .of the tag in various hotels. A

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a structure of this .character which lends .itself readily to production by molding from suitable. plastics and which accordingly may be very readily and cheaply produced.

vThese and other objects I attain by the constructions' shown in the accompanying drawing, whereinl for the purpose of. illustration, I have shown preferred embodiments of Ymy vinvention and wherein:

Figure 1 isa side elevation of a key tag constructedin accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the tag of Figure 1 showing the elements of the tag in partially disassembled relation;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through Y the tag;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a slightly modied tag structure;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the insert employed in the tag of Figure 4 Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the tag through Figure 4; and

Figure I is an enlarged sectional View of the upper end of the tag showing a form of connection between the insert and sheath of the tag which may be employed in any of the constructions of Figures 1 to 6. Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1, the numeral I0 indicates ,a sheath having a main pocket I l and an auX- iliary pocketA I2 which is in communication with the lower end of the main pocket. 'The main pocket opens through the edge wall of the tag forming a slot I3 through which an insert I4 may be placed in position in the sheath.` The sheath at the point of communication vbetween the pockets II and I2 has upwardly facing shoulders I5 upon which shoulders I6 of the insert seat. The side walls I'I of the main pocket terminate short of the upper end of the' tag and closely embrace Vthe side walls of the insert I4 and the upper end of the insert is formed to close the slot I3 and give the assembled tag the appearance of a solid body.

v 'I'he sheath IU and insert I4 are preferably formed of molded plastic and fitted snugly against one another so that there willfbe practically no relative movement therebetween when the insert is held against the longitudinal displacement with relation to the sheath. This may be best accomplished by forming aligned openings I8 and I9 in the upper ends of the Sheath and insert ai passing and key retaining element r2l) through these openings. A l Y The main pocket is provided preferably in both front andrear walls with openingsA 2| while the. vfront wall of the .auxiliary pocket has a smaller opening 22 formed thereon. Within the auxiliaryv pocket there arey disposed a plurality of indicia bearing elements 23 having an' aggregate area somewhat greater than the area of the opening 22 and combining to produce the desired room number. The insert I4 has shallow recesses" 24 in its opposite Side `faces which are slightlylager than the' size of the openings 2l andwhichj receive closely' fitting cards bearing at one face of the tag the hotel name and address and on the opposite face of the tag suitable advertisements, lists of hotel facilities or the like. These recesses are aligned with the openings when the insert is in position and the insert furthermore serves to maintain the indicia bearing elements 2'3 in proper relation to one another and to the opening 22.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the indicia bearing elements 23 substantially iill the auxiliary pocket and the lower end of the insert I4 seats thereon to hold the `elements 23 in proper position.. In the form of of the sheath, thus preventing such springing.

Since the constructions illustrated are obviously capable of some modification without departing 'I from the spirit'of my invention, I do not wishA to be understood aslimiting myself thereto ex-y cept'as hereinafter claimed.

VI claim: Y

l. A key tag comprising a pockets accessible through a slot in the edge of an end of the sheath, a rigid insert for and closely fitting within the mainpocket and closingr the slot, the main Ypocketh'aving shoulders facing the slot and limiting the insertion of the insert and side walls holding the insert against transverse displacement,Y the front walls of the mainand auxiliary pockets having openingspa plurality of indicia bearingy elements havingV a l combined area slightly greater than the area of `the opening in I said A'secondary pocket. wallmaintaired in alignment by saidinsert, an indicia bearing element .carried by said'in'sert and maintained thereby in alignment with'the opening of the main pocket, and key attaching means maintaining said insert invposition inthe sheath, the side walls of` the main-pocketterminating short of the end of the sheath having the slot therein, said insert having shoulders engaging the walls of the sheath at said slot to prevent spreading thereof.i

2. ,The structure of claim 1 wherein the insert has ra projection extending into the secondary pocket, said projection having a recess in its face receiving the rst-named indicia bearing elements. 'i

3. A key tag comprising a unitary rigidi sheath having Acommunicating main 'and secondary pockets accessiblevthrough a slot inlthe edge in the-end of thesheath, a rigid insert for and closely tting within Ithe main pocket and closing the slot, the main pocket having shoulders facing unitary rigid sheath having communicating main and secondary indicia bearing elements in accurate alignmentV with the opening of the secondaryY pocket and against displacement from sai-d secondary pocket, an indicia bearing element carried by said insert and' maintained thereby in xed alignment with Y the opening of themain pocket, and key attach-V ing means maintaining said insert in position in the sheath. l

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein the insert has a projection extending into the secondary pocket, said projection havinga lrecess in its face receiving the rst named indicia bearing elements. Y

5. A key tag comprising a unitary rigid sheath having Y communicating main and secondary pockets accessible through a slot in the edge of an endof the sheath, a rigid insert for and closely /tti-ng' within Ithe main pocket .and closing the I slot, the main pocket having shoulders facing the slot and limiting the insertion of the insert and side wallsfholding theinsert against trans- 'verse displacement, the front walls of the 'main ments of thesecondary pocketmaintaining said the 'slot and limiting the'insertion of the insert and sidewalls holding the insertagainst transverse displacement, the frontl walls of the main and auxiliary pockets having openings, a plurality of indicia bearing elements having `a combined area lslightly greater than Athe area ofthe opening in said secondary pocket wall maintained in alignment by saidV insert, an indicia bearing element carried by said insert and -main-tained thereby in alignment with the Opening of the mainV pocket, and keyv attaching means maintaining said insert in positionin the sheath, the

insert havinglaprojection extending into the,

secondary pocket, said projection havingV a,V recess in its face receiving'the first named indicia bearing elements. .Y n f Y 6. LA key tag comprising arunitary rigid sheath having communicating', mainv and lsecondary pockets accessible through'a slot in the edge in the end of the' sheath, a rigid insert for and closely fitting within :the main pocket and closing the slot, the main pocket having side walls hold# ing the insert against transverse displacement,

the front Walls of the main and auxiliary pockets having openings,a plurality of indicia bearing elements havinga combined area slightly greater than the area of the openingvof the secondary pocketin saidsecondary pocket, said insertwhen disposed in the sheath closing ,therupp'e'r endof thev auxiliarypocket and having engagement `with the indicia bearing elements of theY secondary pocket maintaining said' indicia bearing elements maintaining them in accurate alignment with the opening of the secondary pocket and againstP Vdisplacement from said secondary pocket, said insert having a shallow recess inl its face aligned with the opening ofV the front Wall 'for the main pocket and of slightly greater size than said opening,'an indicia bearing element snugly'tting said recess and key attaching means maintaining said insert in position in the sheath. C A.

' GEORGE J. EvAL'r. 

